National Park Service proposes steep fee hikes to enter 17 popular parks

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It would cost up to $70 to visit 17 of the country's most iconic and beautiful national parks during peak months under a proposal by the National Park Service to raise funds to maintain and improve the parks.

The new fees, which would go into effect in 2018, would be charged during the busiest five months of the year for each park, the park service said in a news release.

During the peak season at each park, the entrance fee would be $70 per private, non-commercial vehicle, $50 per motorcycle, and $30 per person on bike or foot. A park-specific annual pass for any of the 17 parks would be available for $75.

It currently costs $20 to $30 per vehicle to enter those parks.

The new peak fee would be implemented May 1 at Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Olympic, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion national parks. The peak season fee at Acadia, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, and Shenandoah national parks would begin June 1. The fee will be imposed at Joshua Tree National Park as soon as practicable.

The majority of national parks, including the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, will remain free to enter. Only 118 of 417 park sites charge an entrance fee, and the current proposal only raises fees at 17 fee-charging parks.

"Proposed peak season entrance fees and revised fees for road-based commercial tours would generate badly needed revenue for improvements to the aging infrastructure of national parks," the park service said. It includes roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services.

The new fee could increase national park revenue by $70 million per year. That is a 34 percent increase over the $200 million collected in Fiscal Year 2016. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, 80 percent of an entrance fee remains in the park where it is collected. The other 20 percent is spent on projects in other national parks.

"The infrastructure of our national parks is aging and in need of renovation and restoration," U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said in the release. "Targeted fee increases at some of our most-visited parks will help ensure that they are protected and preserved in perpetuity and that visitors enjoy a world-class experience that mirrors the amazing destinations they are visiting. We need to have the vision to look at the future of our parks and take action in order to ensure that our grandkids' grandkids will have the same if not better experience than we have today. Shoring up our parks' aging infrastructure will do that."

A public comment period on the peak-season entrance fee proposal will be open to Nov. 23 on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website parkplanning.nps.gov/proposedpeakseasonfeerates. Written comments can be sent to 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop: 2346 Washington, DC 20240.

The cost of the annual "America the Beautiful -- The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass," which provides entrance to all federal lands, including parks for a one-year period, would remain $80, the park service said. Entrance fees are not charged to visitors under 16 years of age or holders of Senior, Military, Access, Volunteer, or Every Kid in a Park passes.